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Baijiu (Chinese: ??; pinyin: báijiu), or shaojiu is a Chinese
China

China is a Culture of China, an ancient civilization, and, depending on perspective, a national or multinational entity extending over a large area in East Asia....
 distilled
Distilled beverage

A distilled beverage, liquor, or spirit is a drinkable liquid containing ethanol that is produced by means of distillation Fermentation grain, fruit, or vegetables....
 alcoholic beverage
Alcoholic beverage

An alcoholic beverage is a drink containing ethanol . Alcoholic beverages are divided into three general classes: beers, wines, and distilled beverage....
. The name baijiu literally means "white liquor," "white alcohol" or "white spirits". Baijiu is often mistakenly translated as "wine
Wine

Wine is an alcoholic beverage often made of fermentation grape juice. The natural chemical balance of grapes is such that they can ferment without the addition of sugars, acids, enzymes or other nutrients....
" or "white wine," but it is actually a distilled liquor, generally about 80 to 120 proof
Proof (alcohol)

Alcoholic proof is a measure of how much alcohol is contained in an alcoholic beverage. The measure is commonly used in the United States, where it is defined as twice the percentage of alcohol by volume....
, or 40-60% alcohol by volume (ABV) (ethanol
Ethanol

Ethanol, also called ethyl alcohol, pure alcohol, grain alcohol, or drinking alcohol, is a volatility , flammable, colorless liquid....
).

Baijiu is a clear drink usually distilled from sorghum
Sorghum

Sorghum is a genus of numerous species of Poaceae, some of which are raised for grain and many of which are used as fodder plants either cultivated or as part of pasture....
, although sometimes other grains may be used; baijiu varieties produced in southern China are typically made from glutinous rice
Glutinous rice

Glutinous rice is a type of short-grained Asian rice that is especially sticky when cooked. It is called glutinous in the sense of being glue-like or sticky and not in the sense of containing gluten; on the other hand, it is called sticky but should not be confused with the other varieties of Asian rice that become sticky to one deg...
, while those from northern China are generally made of sorghum, wheat
Wheat

Wheat , is a worldwide cultivated Poaceae from the Levant region of the Middle East. Globally, after maize, wheat is the second most-produced food among the cereal just above rice....
, barley
Barley

Barley is an annual plant cereal grain derived from the grass Hordeum vulgare. It serves as a major animal feed crop, with smaller amounts used for malting and in health food, as well as the making of alcoholic beverages beer and whisky....
, millet
Millet

The millets are a group of small-seeded species of cereal Crop or grains, widely grown around the world for food and fodder. They do not form a scientific classification group, but rather a functional or agronomic one....
, or occasionally Job's tears
Job's Tears

Book of Job's Tears , Coixseed, adlay, or adlai, is a tall grain-bearing tropical plant of the family Poaceae native to East Asia and peninsular Malaysia but elsewhere cultivated in gardens as an Annual plant....
.

Because of its clarity, baijiu can appear similar to several other liquors, but generally has a significantly higher ABV than, for example, vodka
Vodka

Vodka is a distilled beverage. It is a clear liquid which consists of mostly water and ethanol purified by distillation ? often multiple distillation ? from a Fermentation substance, such as cereal , potatoes or sugar beet molasses, and an insignificant amount of other substances such as flavorings or unintended impurities....
 (35-50%), Japan
Japan

Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, People's Republic of China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south....
ese shochu
Shochu

is a distilled beverage native to Japan. It is most commonly distillation from barley, Sweet potato, or rice. Typically, it contains 25% alcohol by volume ....
 (25%), or Korea
Korea

Korea is a geographic area composed of two sovereign countries, a civilization, and a former state situated on the Korean Peninsula in East Asia....
n soju
Soju

Soju is a distilled beverage native to Korea. Most brands of modern soju are made in South Korea. Though traditionally made from rice, most major brands supplement or even replace the rice with other starches such as potato, wheat, barley, sweet potato, or tapioca ....
 (20-45%), and its flavour is distinctive and unique.

ese traditionally serve baijiu either warm or at room temperature in a small ceramic bottle.






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Baijiu (Chinese: ??; pinyin: báijiu), or shaojiu is a Chinese
China

China is a Culture of China, an ancient civilization, and, depending on perspective, a national or multinational entity extending over a large area in East Asia....
 distilled
Distilled beverage

A distilled beverage, liquor, or spirit is a drinkable liquid containing ethanol that is produced by means of distillation Fermentation grain, fruit, or vegetables....
 alcoholic beverage
Alcoholic beverage

An alcoholic beverage is a drink containing ethanol . Alcoholic beverages are divided into three general classes: beers, wines, and distilled beverage....
. The name baijiu literally means "white liquor," "white alcohol" or "white spirits". Baijiu is often mistakenly translated as "wine
Wine

Wine is an alcoholic beverage often made of fermentation grape juice. The natural chemical balance of grapes is such that they can ferment without the addition of sugars, acids, enzymes or other nutrients....
" or "white wine," but it is actually a distilled liquor, generally about 80 to 120 proof
Proof (alcohol)

Alcoholic proof is a measure of how much alcohol is contained in an alcoholic beverage. The measure is commonly used in the United States, where it is defined as twice the percentage of alcohol by volume....
, or 40-60% alcohol by volume (ABV) (ethanol
Ethanol

Ethanol, also called ethyl alcohol, pure alcohol, grain alcohol, or drinking alcohol, is a volatility , flammable, colorless liquid....
).

Baijiu is a clear drink usually distilled from sorghum
Sorghum

Sorghum is a genus of numerous species of Poaceae, some of which are raised for grain and many of which are used as fodder plants either cultivated or as part of pasture....
, although sometimes other grains may be used; baijiu varieties produced in southern China are typically made from glutinous rice
Glutinous rice

Glutinous rice is a type of short-grained Asian rice that is especially sticky when cooked. It is called glutinous in the sense of being glue-like or sticky and not in the sense of containing gluten; on the other hand, it is called sticky but should not be confused with the other varieties of Asian rice that become sticky to one deg...
, while those from northern China are generally made of sorghum, wheat
Wheat

Wheat , is a worldwide cultivated Poaceae from the Levant region of the Middle East. Globally, after maize, wheat is the second most-produced food among the cereal just above rice....
, barley
Barley

Barley is an annual plant cereal grain derived from the grass Hordeum vulgare. It serves as a major animal feed crop, with smaller amounts used for malting and in health food, as well as the making of alcoholic beverages beer and whisky....
, millet
Millet

The millets are a group of small-seeded species of cereal Crop or grains, widely grown around the world for food and fodder. They do not form a scientific classification group, but rather a functional or agronomic one....
, or occasionally Job's tears
Job's Tears

Book of Job's Tears , Coixseed, adlay, or adlai, is a tall grain-bearing tropical plant of the family Poaceae native to East Asia and peninsular Malaysia but elsewhere cultivated in gardens as an Annual plant....
.

Because of its clarity, baijiu can appear similar to several other liquors, but generally has a significantly higher ABV than, for example, vodka
Vodka

Vodka is a distilled beverage. It is a clear liquid which consists of mostly water and ethanol purified by distillation ? often multiple distillation ? from a Fermentation substance, such as cereal , potatoes or sugar beet molasses, and an insignificant amount of other substances such as flavorings or unintended impurities....
 (35-50%), Japan
Japan

Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, People's Republic of China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south....
ese shochu
Shochu

is a distilled beverage native to Japan. It is most commonly distillation from barley, Sweet potato, or rice. Typically, it contains 25% alcohol by volume ....
 (25%), or Korea
Korea

Korea is a geographic area composed of two sovereign countries, a civilization, and a former state situated on the Korean Peninsula in East Asia....
n soju
Soju

Soju is a distilled beverage native to Korea. Most brands of modern soju are made in South Korea. Though traditionally made from rice, most major brands supplement or even replace the rice with other starches such as potato, wheat, barley, sweet potato, or tapioca ....
 (20-45%), and its flavour is distinctive and unique.

Serving

Chinese traditionally serve baijiu either warm or at room temperature in a small ceramic bottle. They then pour the baijiu into small cups. Baijiu may be purchased as a set of items consisting of bottles of baijiu, a small heater, and four to six small cups. The serving method and containers are similar to those which are used to serve sake
Sake

Sake is a Japanese alcoholic beverage made from rice.This beverage is called sake in English, but in Japanese language, sake or Honorific speech in Japanese refers to alcoholic drinks in general....
 and soju, although as a drink baijiu differs significantly from the latter two beverages. Baijiu is generally sold in glass or ceramic bottles and consumed in shot glasses much like vodka. It is traditional to consume baijiu together with food rather than drinking it on its own, though the latter is not uncommon.

In 2007, there was a report in Time magazine that mentioned integrating baijiu into cocktails.

Taste

There are a number of accounts in English which comment unfavorably on the taste of baijiu, comparing it with, for example paint thinner
Paint thinner

A paint thinner is a solvent used to thin Oil paints. Commercially, "paint thinner" is usually a name for mineral spirits. Other solvents used to thin paint include:...
, rubbing alcohol
Rubbing alcohol

Rubbing alcohol, United States Pharmacopeia / British Pharmacopoeia is a liquid prepared and used primarily for topical application. It is prepared from a special denatured alcohol solution and contains 97.5-100% by volume of pure, concentrated ethanol ....
 or diesel
Diesel

Diesel or diesel fuel in general is any fuel used in diesel engines. The most common is a specific fractional distillation of petroleum fuel oil, but alternatives that are not derived from petroleum, such as biodiesel, biomass to liquid or gas to liquid diesel, are increasingly being developed and adopted....
 fuel. The typically high ABV of much baijiu is commonly cited as the reason for these impressions.

Pricing

Low grades of baijiu can be quite inexpensive; a bottle of roughly eight ounces may be purchased for the same price as a can of beer
Beer

Beer is the world's oldest and most widely consumed alcoholic beverage and the third most popular drink overall after water and tea. It is produced by the brewing and Fermentation of starches, mainly derived from cereal?the most common of which is malted barley, although wheat, maize , and rice are widely used....
. However, higher grades, which are often aged for many years, can be quite expensive; the highest grade of Wuliangye retails for 26,800 yuan
Chinese yuan

The yuan is, in the Chinese language, the base unit of a number of modern Chinese currencies. The same character is used to refer to the cognate currency units of Japan and Korea, and is used to translate the currency unit "dollar"; for example, the United States dollar is called Meiyuan , or "American yuan", in Chinese....
 (US$3,375). Some popular varieties of baijiu include Maotai jiu
Maotai

Maotai, or Moutai , is arguably the most famous Chinese wine, or baijiu.It is produced in a town called Maotai, in the city of Renhuai , under the jurisdiction of the prefecture-level city of Zunyi, in the Guizhou province of southwestern China....
, gaoliang jiu
Kaoliang

Kaoliang jiu is a strong distilled liquor, made from fermented sorghum . It is made and sold in both mainland China and Taiwan, and also popular in Korea, where it is called goryangju ....
, erguotou, and Wuliangye.

Classification

While Chinese fermented wines, or huangjiu
Huangjiu

Yellow wine redirects here. For the french wine made in the Jura region see Vin jauneHuangjiu is a type of China alcoholic beverage brewed directly from grains such as rice, millet, or wheat....
, have a wide variety of classification methods
Huangjiu

Yellow wine redirects here. For the french wine made in the Jura region see Vin jauneHuangjiu is a type of China alcoholic beverage brewed directly from grains such as rice, millet, or wheat....
, baijiu are grouped primarily by their fragrance.
  • "Sauce" fragrance (??; pinyin
    Pinyin

    Pinyin, more formally Hanyu pinyin, is the most commonly used Romanization system for Standard Mandarin. Hanyu is the Chinese Language, and pinyin means "phonetics", or more literally, "spelling sound" or "spelled sound"....
    : jiàng xiang): A highly fragrant distilled liquor of bold character. To the Western palate, sauce fragrance baijiu can be quite challenging. It has solvent and barnyard aromas, with the former, in combination with the ethanol in the liquor, imparting a sharp ammonia-like note. It has been described as stinky tofu
    Stinky tofu

    Stinky tofu is a form of fermentation tofu, which, as the name suggests, has a strong odor. It is a popular snack in East Asia and Southeast Asia, particularly Taiwan, Indonesia, and China, where it is usually found at night markets or roadside stands, or as a side dish in lunch bars....
     crossed with grappa
    Grappa

    Grappa is a fragrant grape-based pomace brandy of between 37.5% and 60% alcohol by volume , of Italy origin. Literally "grape stalk", most grappa is made by distillation pomace and grape residue left over from winemaking after pressing....
    . To the initiated, it is quite delicious and is considered the perfect complement for fine preserved and pickled foods
    Pickling

    Pickling, also known as brining or corning, is the process of preserving food by Anaerobic organism fermentation in brine , to produce lactic acid bacteria, or marination and storing it in an acid solution, usually vinegar ....
     (??, jìang cài). This class is also referred to as "Mao xiang", after the best known wine of this class, Maotai
    Maotai

    Maotai, or Moutai , is arguably the most famous Chinese wine, or baijiu.It is produced in a town called Maotai, in the city of Renhuai , under the jurisdiction of the prefecture-level city of Zunyi, in the Guizhou province of southwestern China....
    .
  • Heavy/thick fragrance (?? or ??; pinyin
    Pinyin

    Pinyin, more formally Hanyu pinyin, is the most commonly used Romanization system for Standard Mandarin. Hanyu is the Chinese Language, and pinyin means "phonetics", or more literally, "spelling sound" or "spelled sound"....
    : nóng xiang or lú xiang): A class of distilled liquor that is sweet tasting, unctuous in texture, and mellow, with a gentle lasting fragrance contributed by the high levels of ester
    Ester

    An ester is an often Aroma compound organic chemistry or partially organic compound formed by the reaction between an acid and an alcohol or aromatic alcohol with the elimination of water....
    s, primarily ethyl acetate
    Ethyl acetate

    Ethyl acetate is the organic compound with the formula CH3COOCH2CH3. This colorless liquid has a characteristic sweet smell like certain glues or nail polish removers, in which it is used....
    . Most liquors of this class are made using Aspergillus type starters. Example of this type of liquor is Five Grains Liquid (Wuliangye, ???) of Yibin
    Yibin

    Yibin is a prefecture-level city in south central China, in southern Sichuan Province, located at the junction of the Minjiang River and Yangtze Rivers....
    .
  • Light fragrance (?? or ??; pinyin
    Pinyin

    Pinyin, more formally Hanyu pinyin, is the most commonly used Romanization system for Standard Mandarin. Hanyu is the Chinese Language, and pinyin means "phonetics", or more literally, "spelling sound" or "spelled sound"....
    : qing xiang or fen xiang): Delicate, dry, and light, with a delectable mellow and clean mouthfeel
    Mouthfeel

    Mouthfeel is a product?s physical and chemical interaction in the mouth. It is a concept used in many areas related to the testing and evaluating of foodstuffs, such as wine-tasting and rheology....
    . The flavours of this distilled liquor is contributed primarily by ethyl acetate and ethyl lactate
    Ethyl lactate

    Ethyl lactate, also known as lactic acid ethyl ester, is a monobasic ester formed from lactic acid and ethanol, commonly used as a solvent. This compound is considered biodegradable and can be used as a water-rinsable degreaser....
    . An example of this kind of liquor is Fen jiu (??; pinyin: fén jiu) of Shanxi
    Shanxi

    is a political divisions of China in the North China of the People's Republic of China. Its one-character abbreviation is Jin , after the state of Jin that existed here during the Spring and Autumn Period....
    .
  • Rice fragrance (??; pinyin
    Pinyin

    Pinyin, more formally Hanyu pinyin, is the most commonly used Romanization system for Standard Mandarin. Hanyu is the Chinese Language, and pinyin means "phonetics", or more literally, "spelling sound" or "spelled sound"....
    : mi xiang): The character of this class of wine is exemplified by baijiu distilled from rice
    Rice baijiu

    Rice baijiu , also known as rice fragrance baijiu , is a variety of distilled beverage popular in China. Unlike other kinds of baijiu, it is distilled mainly from rice rather than from sorghum or other grains....
    , such as Tri-Flower Liquor (San Hua jiu, ???) of Guilin
    Guilin

    Guilin is a city in People's Republic of China, situated in the northeast of the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region on the west bank of the Lijiang River....
    . This type of wine has long history and is made using Rhizopus spp. type starters ("Small starter"). It has a clean mouthfeel and is slightly aromatic aroma, dominated by ethyl lactate with lesser flavour contributions by ethyl acetate.
  • Honey fragrance (??; pinyin
    Pinyin

    Pinyin, more formally Hanyu pinyin, is the most commonly used Romanization system for Standard Mandarin. Hanyu is the Chinese Language, and pinyin means "phonetics", or more literally, "spelling sound" or "spelled sound"....
    : feng xiang): A class of distilled liquor with the fragrance of honey. Liquors of this class are subtle in flavour and sweet in taste.
  • Layered fragrance (?? or ??; pinyin
    Pinyin

    Pinyin, more formally Hanyu pinyin, is the most commonly used Romanization system for Standard Mandarin. Hanyu is the Chinese Language, and pinyin means "phonetics", or more literally, "spelling sound" or "spelled sound"....
    : jian xiang or fù xiang): A class of distilled liquors that contain the characters of "Sauce", Heavy, and Light fragrance distilled liquors. As such, liquors of this class vary widely in their aroma, mouthfeel, and dryness. An example of this type of liquor is Xifeng Jiu (???; literally "Western Phoenix Liquor"), produced in Fengxiang (Phoenix Flying, ??) County of Shaanxi
    Shaanxi

    is a north-central political divisions of China of the People's Republic of China, and includes portions of the Loess Plateau on the middle reaches of the Yellow River as well as the Qinling Mountains across the southern part of the province....
    .


Types of baijiu


Unflavored

  • Fen jiu (??; pinyin: fén jiu): this liquor dates back to the Northern and Southern Dynasties (550 A.D.). It is the original Chinese white liquor made from sorghum. Alcohol content by volume: 63–65%.
  • Erguotou (???; pinyin: èrguotóu; lit. "head of the second pot") is a strong, clear distilled liquor. It is often inexpensive, and thus particularly popular among blue-collar worker
    Blue-collar worker

    A blue-collar worker is a member of the working class who performs manual labour and earns an hourly wage. Blue-collar workers are distinguished from those in the service sector and from white-collar workers, whose jobs are not considered manual labor....
    s across northern
    North China

    Northern China or North China is a geographical region of China. The heartland of North China is the North China Plain.It is defined by the People's Republic of China to include the Municipality of China of Beijing and Tianjin, the Provinces of China of Hebei and Shanxi, and Inner Mongolia....
     and northeastern
    Northeast China

    Northeast China is a geographical region of China. It is separated from Russia largely by the Amur, Argun, and Ussuri rivers, from North Korea by the Yalu River and Tumen River, and from the Inner Mongolian Autonomous Region by the Greater Khingan Range....
     China. It is probably the most commonly drunk baijiu in Beijing
    Beijing

    is a metropolis in northern China and the Capital of the People's Republic of China. It is one of the four municipality of China, which are equivalent to province in China's Political divisions of China....
    , and is frequently associated with that city. Red Star (??, hóng xing) is a popular brand found in Beijing homes everywhere.
  • Maotai jiu
    Maotai

    Maotai, or Moutai , is arguably the most famous Chinese wine, or baijiu.It is produced in a town called Maotai, in the city of Renhuai , under the jurisdiction of the prefecture-level city of Zunyi, in the Guizhou province of southwestern China....
     (???; pinyin: Máotái jiu): this liquor has a production history of over 200 years, originally coming from the town of Maotai, Guizhou
    Guizhou

    is a political divisions of China of the People's Republic of China located in the Southwest China of the country. Its provincial capital city is Guiyang....
    . It is made from wheat and sorghum with a unique distilling process that involves seven iterations of the brewing cycle. This liquor became known to the world after winning a gold medal at the 1915 Panama-Pacific Exposition in San Francisco, California
    San Francisco, California

    The City and County of San Francisco is the fourth most populous city in California and the List of United States cities by population in the United States, with a 2007 estimated population of 799,183....
    . Mao Zedong
    Mao Zedong

    Mao Zedong was a China military and politics dictator. Mao led the Communist Party of China to victory against the Kuomintang in the Chinese Civil War, and was the leader of the People?s Republic of China from its establishment in 1949 until his death in 1976....
     served maotai
    Maotai

    Maotai, or Moutai , is arguably the most famous Chinese wine, or baijiu.It is produced in a town called Maotai, in the city of Renhuai , under the jurisdiction of the prefecture-level city of Zunyi, in the Guizhou province of southwestern China....
     at state dinners during Richard Nixon
    Richard Nixon

    Richard Milhous Nixon was the List of Presidents of the United States President of the United States and the only president to resign the office....
    's state visit to China, and Henry Kissinger
    Henry Kissinger

    Henry Alfred Kissinger is a Germany-born United States Jewish political scientist, bureaucrat, diplomat, and winner of the Nobel Peace Prize. He served as United States National Security Advisor and later concurrently as United States Secretary of State in the Nixon administration....
     once remarked to Deng Xiaoping
    Deng Xiaoping

    Deng Xiaoping was a prominent Chinese revolutionary, politician, pragmatist and reformer, as well as the late leader of the Communist Party of China ....
     that "if we drink enough Maotai we can solve anything." Alcohol content by volume: 54–55%.
  • Gaoliang jiu
    Kaoliang

    Kaoliang jiu is a strong distilled liquor, made from fermented sorghum . It is made and sold in both mainland China and Taiwan, and also popular in Korea, where it is called goryangju ....
     (???; pinyin: gaoliáng jiu): "Gaoliang", commonly written "Kaoliang
    Kaoliang

    Kaoliang jiu is a strong distilled liquor, made from fermented sorghum . It is made and sold in both mainland China and Taiwan, and also popular in Korea, where it is called goryangju ....
    ", is the Chinese word for a specific type of sorghum. The wine originates from Dazhigu (???, located east of Tianjin
    Tianjin

    is the third largest city of the People's Republic of China in terms of urban population. Administratively it is one of the four municipality that have Political divisions of China status, reporting directly to the central government....
    ), first appearing in the Ming Dynasty
    Ming Dynasty

    The Ming Dynasty , or Empire of the Great Ming , was the ruling Dynasties in Chinese history of China from 1368 to 1644, following the collapse of the Mongol-led Yuan Dynasty....
    . Nowadays, Taiwan
    Taiwan

    Taiwan is an island in East Asia. "Taiwan" is also commonly used to refer to the country governed by the Republic of China and to the ROC itself, which governs the island of Taiwan, Orchid Island and Green Island, Taiwan in the Pacific Ocean off the Taiwan coast, the Penghu islands in the Taiwan Strait, and Kinmen and the Matsu Islands...
     is a large producer of gaoliang jiu. Alcohol content by volume: 54–63%.
  • Daqu jiu (???; pinyin: dà qu jiu): Originally from Sichuan
    Sichuan

    is a Province in western China proper with its capital in Chengdu. The current name of the province, ?? , is an abbreviation of ??? , or "Four circuit #Circuits in East Asia of rivers", which is itself abbreviated from ???? , or "Four circuits of rivers and gorges", named after the division of the existing circuit into four during the Song...
     with 300 years of history. This wine is made with sorghum and wheat and is fermented for a long time. Alcohol content by volume: 52%.
  • Shuang zheng jiu (???; pinyin: shuang zheng jiu; lit. "double distilled wine") and San zheng jiu (???; san zheng jiu, lit. "triple distilled wine"): two varieties of rice wine from the area of Jiujiang
    Jiujiang

    Jiujiang , formerly called Kiukiang, is a prefecture-level city located on the southern shores of the Yangtze River in northwest Jiangxi Province, China....
    , Jiangxi
    Jiangxi

    is a southern province of China of the People's Republic of China, spanning from the banks of the Yangtze River in the north into hillier areas in the south....
    , made by distilling twice and three times respectively. Alcohol content by volume: 32% and 38–39% respectively.
  • Wuliangye (???; pinyin: wu liáng yè) is a strong, aged distilled liquor produced in the city of Yibin
    Yibin

    Yibin is a prefecture-level city in south central China, in southern Sichuan Province, located at the junction of the Minjiang River and Yangtze Rivers....
    , in southern Sichuan
    Sichuan

    is a Province in western China proper with its capital in Chengdu. The current name of the province, ?? , is an abbreviation of ??? , or "Four circuit #Circuits in East Asia of rivers", which is itself abbreviated from ???? , or "Four circuits of rivers and gorges", named after the division of the existing circuit into four during the Song...
    . Its factory includes, on its grounds, a Liquor History Museum.
  • Jiugui (??; pinyin: jiu gui; lit. "drunkard" or "alcoholic"; also called Sot) is a clear distilled liquor made from spring water, sorghum, glutinous rice, and wheat. It is produced by the Hunan Jiugui Liquor Co., Ltd., in the town of Zhenwu, in Jishou
    Jishou

    Jishou is a county-level city and the seat of Xiangxi Tujia and Miao Autonomous Prefecture in Hunan province of thePeople's Republic of China....
     county-level city
    County-level city

    A county-level city is a Political divisions of China#County level administrative division of mainland China. County-level cities are usually governed by Political divisions of China#Prefecture level divisions, but a few are governed directly by Political divisions of China#Province level divisions....
    , Xiangxi Tujia and Miao Autonomous Prefecture
    Xiangxi Tujia and Miao Autonomous Prefecture

    Xiangxi Tujia and Miao Autonomous Prefecture is an autonomous prefecture of the People's Republic of China. It is located in western Hunan province....
    , in the western part of the Hunan
    Hunan

    is a province of China of People's Republic of China, located in the middle reaches of the Yangtze River and south of Lake Dongting . Hunan is sometimes called wikt:? for short, after the Xiang River which runs through the province....
     province, and ranges from 38% to 54% alcohol by volume.


Flavored

  • Meiguilu jiu (????; sold as Mei Kuei Lu Chiew; pinyin: méiguilòu jiu; lit. "rose essence liquor"): a variety of gaoliang jiu distilled with a special species of rose
    Rose

    A rose is a perennial plant flower shrub or vine of the genus Rosa, within the family Rosaceae, that contains over 100 species and comes in a variety of colors....
     and crystal sugar
    Rock candy

    File:Brauner Kandiszucker.jpgFile:Kandiszucker_wei?.jpgRock candy is a type of confectionery composed of relatively large sugar crystals.Homemade rock candy is commonly formed by allowing a Supersaturation solution of sugar and water to crystallize onto a string or some other surface suitable for crystal nucleation....
    . Alcohol content by volume: 54–55%.
  • Guihua chen jiu is a distilled liquor flavored with Sweet Osmanthus
    Sweet Osmanthus

    Osmanthus fragrans is a species of Osmanthus native to Asia, from the Himalaya east through southern China and to Taiwan and to southern Japan.....
     flowers. Its alcohol content is 17-18%.
  • Wujiapi jiu (????; sold as Wu Chia Pi Chiew; pinyin: wu jia pí jiu): a variety of gaoliang jiu with a unique selection of Chinese herbal medicine (including Angelica sinensis
    Angelica sinensis

    Angelica sinensis, commonly known as "dong quai" or "female ginseng" is a herb from the family Apiaceae, indigenous to China....
    ) added to the brew. Alcohol content by volume: 54–55%.
  • Yuk Bing Siu Zau (????; Mandarin: yù bing shao jiu; less commonly known as ???, Mandarin: ròu láo shao): a Cantonese
    Cantonese cuisine

    Cantonese cuisine comes from Guangdong in Southern China, or specifically from Guangzhou . Of all the regional varieties of Chinese cuisine, Cantonese is the best known outside China; most "Chinese restaurants" in Western countries serve Cantonese cuisine and dishes based on it....
     rice liquor with over 100 years of history, made with steamed rice. After distillation, pork fat is stored with the liquor but removed before bottling. Its name probably derives from the brewing process: in Cantonese, yuk ("jade") is a homophone of "meat", and bing means "ice," which describes the appearance of the pork fat floating in the liquor. Cantonese rice wine breweries prospered in the Northern Song Dynasty
    Song Dynasty

    The Song Dynasty was a ruling Chinese dynasty in China between 960–1279 AD; it succeeded the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period, and was followed by the Yuan Dynasty....
    , when the Foshan
    Foshan

    Foshan is a prefecture-level city in central Guangdong province of China, People's Republic of China. The city has jurisdiction over an area of about 3,840 km? and a population of 5.4 million of which 1.1 million reside in the city proper ....
     area was exempted from alcohol tax. Alcohol content by volume: 30%.
  • Sanhua jiu (???; pinyin: sanhua jiu, lit. "three flowers liquor"): a rice liquor made in Guilin
    Guilin

    Guilin is a city in People's Republic of China, situated in the northeast of the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region on the west bank of the Lijiang River....
     with allegedly over a thousand year history. It is famous for the fragrant herbal addition, and the use of spring water from Mount Elephant in the region. Alcohol content by volume: 55–57%.
  • Zhuyeqing jiu (????; pinyin: zhúyè qinq jiu, lit. "bamboo leaf green liquor"; also spelled Chu Yeh Ching): this sweet liquor, produced in Shanxi
    Shanxi

    is a political divisions of China in the North China of the People's Republic of China. Its one-character abbreviation is Jin , after the state of Jin that existed here during the Spring and Autumn Period....
    , is fen jiu brewed with a dozen or more selected Chinese herbal medicines. One of the ingredients is bamboo
    Bamboo

    The bamboos are a group of woody perennial plant evergreen plants in the true grass family Poaceae, subfamily Bambusoideae, tribe Bambuseae....
     leaves which gives the liquor a yellowish-green color and its name. Its alcohol content ranges between 38 and 46 percent by volume.
  • To Mei Chiew (???; Mandarin: tú wéi jiu) is a Cantonese liquor produced in Xiaolan Town
    Xiaolan Town

    Xiaolan Town is a China city situated at the northwest periphery of the city of Zhongshan. The population of Xiaolan Town is of an estimation of 150,000 permanent residents and 100,000 temporary residents....
    , Zhongshan
    Zhongshan

    Zhongshan is a prefecture-level city in the south of the Pearl River Delta in Guangdong Provinces of China in southern China....
     prefecture-level city
    Prefecture-level city

    A prefecture-level city or prefecture-level municipality is an administrative division of the People's Republic of China, ranking below a province of China and above a county of China in China's administrative structure....
    , Guangdong
    Guangdong

    Guangdong is a political divisions of China on the southern coast of People's Republic of China. The province is also known by an alternative English language name, the Canton Province....
     province, from rice wine, with added to mei flowers and crystal sugar syrup. Aged for more than one year. 30% alcohol by volume.
  • Pi Lu Chiew (???; pinyin: bì lu jiu; lit. "jade/emerald green liquor"): Of Wuhan
    Wuhan

    is the capital of Hubei province, and is the most populous city in central People's Republic of China. It lies at the east of Jianghan Plain, and the intersection of the middle reaches of the Yangtze River and Han River ....
     origin, this liquor is infused with Chinese medicinal herbs and sugar.
  • Imperial Lotus White Chiew (????; pinyin: yà lián bái jiu; lit. "court lotus white liquor"): This is a variety of kaoliang jiu
    Kaoliang

    Kaoliang jiu is a strong distilled liquor, made from fermented sorghum . It is made and sold in both mainland China and Taiwan, and also popular in Korea, where it is called goryangju ....
     (sorghum liquor), infused with twenty medicinal herbs. It was first produced for the Chinese royal family in 1790.
  • Chajiu (??; pinyin: chá jiu, literally "tea liquor") is a product of fairly recent origin. It consists of gaoliang jiu flavored with tea
    Tea

    Tea refers to the agricultural products of the leaves, leaf buds, and internodes of the Camellia sinensis plant, prepared and cured by various methods....
     leaves and hawthorn
    Crataegus

    Hawthorn is a large genus of shrubs and trees in the rose family, Rosaceae, native to temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere in Europe, Asia and North America....
     berries. It is usually a light reddish brown in color (similar to oolong tea
    Oolong

    Oolong is a traditional Chinese tea somewhere between green tea and black tea in oxidation. It ranges from 10% to 70% oxidation.In Chinese tea culture, semi-oxidized oolong teas are collectively grouped as qingch? ....
    ), and varieties made with oolong, green
    Green tea

    'Green tea' is a type of tea made solely with the leaves of Camellia sinensis, that has undergone minimal oxidation during processing. Green tea originates from China and has become associated with many cultures in Asia from Japan to the Middle East....
    , and black tea
    Black tea

    Black tea is a variety of tea that is more oxidization than the oolong, green tea, and White tea varieties.All four varieties are made from leaves of Camellia sinensis. Black tea is generally stronger in flavor and contains more caffeine than the less Redox teas....
     are available. Chajiu is produced by several manufacturers, primarily in the Sichuan
    Sichuan

    is a Province in western China proper with its capital in Chengdu. The current name of the province, ?? , is an abbreviation of ??? , or "Four circuit #Circuits in East Asia of rivers", which is itself abbreviated from ???? , or "Four circuits of rivers and gorges", named after the division of the existing circuit into four during the Song...
     province. Although the strength differs according to the brand and variety, chajiu ranges between 8% and 28% alcohol by volume.
  • Xifeng Jiu
    Xifeng jiu

    Xifeng jiu is a distilled alcoholic beverage made from barley and pea flavoured baijiu. It is produced in Shaanxi and Fengxiang, China....


External links



See also

  • Chinese wine
    Chinese wine

    Jiu is the Chinese language word that refers to all alcoholic beverages. This word has often been mistranslated into English language as "wine", although the meaning is closer to "alcoholic beverage" or "liquor." The same Chinese character is also used in Japanese language, where it is pronounced sake or shu, and in Korean langua...
  • Huangjiu
    Huangjiu

    Yellow wine redirects here. For the french wine made in the Jura region see Vin jauneHuangjiu is a type of China alcoholic beverage brewed directly from grains such as rice, millet, or wheat....
  • Maotai
    Maotai

    Maotai, or Moutai , is arguably the most famous Chinese wine, or baijiu.It is produced in a town called Maotai, in the city of Renhuai , under the jurisdiction of the prefecture-level city of Zunyi, in the Guizhou province of southwestern China....
  • Kaoliang
    Kaoliang

    Kaoliang jiu is a strong distilled liquor, made from fermented sorghum . It is made and sold in both mainland China and Taiwan, and also popular in Korea, where it is called goryangju ....
  • Rice baijiu
    Rice baijiu

    Rice baijiu , also known as rice fragrance baijiu , is a variety of distilled beverage popular in China. Unlike other kinds of baijiu, it is distilled mainly from rice rather than from sorghum or other grains....
  • Chinese grape wine